Most drilling equipment uses a feed column having a drilling head mounted thereto. The drilling head is mounted on a plate which slides along the feed column allowing the drilling head to be lowered into or raised from the drilling hole. The mounting plate is mounted to the feed column using fixed bearing plates that prevent the mounting plate from being pulled away from the feed column and react against the movement generated by the forces of the drilling head feed system.
During normal operation of drilling equipment, a feed element attached to the mounting plate pulls the mounting plate up and down the feed column to cause the drilling action. The force used to pull the mounting plate down the feed column creates a moment of force causing the front of the drill head to pull away from the feed column. This moment of force causes the fixed bearing plates connecting the mounting plate to the feed column to form an uneven line of contact with the feed column. This line of contact is on the edges of the fixed bearing plates located at the front and rear of the mounting plate. This characteristic of the fixed bearing plate causes a plowing action between the bearing plate and the feed column and accelerates wear of both the feed column and bearing plate. This wear comprises a major maintenance factor in drilling equipment. Presently existing systems typically harden the fixed bearing plates to reduce wear, thus making the bearing plates much harder than the feed column. While this may improve wear of the bearing plates, wear on the feed column is not improved. Thus, an apparatus for reducing the amount of wear between the bearings of a mounting plate and the feed column of a drilling rig is needed.